Much of the Drama of &quot;Romeo and Juliet&quot; is generated by Shakespeare's juxtaposition of love, death and violence

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Introduction

Much of the Drama of "Romeo and Juliet" is generated by Shakespeare's juxtaposition of love, death and violence William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" was written in the early 1590's and is still considered to be one of his finest pieces of work. The storyline is based on a translation of an Italian poem and is also influenced by tales of famous family feuds. Romeo and Juliet is a great example of an early Shakespearean tragedy and can also be related to a medieval style one, which is a calamity based on fate and coincidence. The play itself is set in the late 16th century, which was a time period in which theatre was really gaining in popularity. Romeo and Juliet tells the story in which love is thwarted by the day-to-day brutality of the family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. It represents an example of the type of literature that forms part of the English Renaissance, a movement that saw English literature move to another level not seen before. This was where playwrights such as Shakespeare himself, as well as Marlon and Kyd really became publicly known. ...read more.

Middle

However, this is about to change dramatically with the encounter between Romeo and Juliet. At the party, the Capulet nephew, Tybalt, notices Romeo and his Montague friends. He is very passionate about the feud between the two families: "Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe"..... Tis he, that villain, Romeo". This passion turns into rage on this occasion, but Capulet marks his authority and basically pulls rank on Tybalt and orders him to behave himself. Tybalt gradually withdraws from the potential quarrel but definitely does not forget. This aggression shown by him will have more serious consequences later in the play, as it sets in motion a chain of events the young couple, soon to be lovers, cannot control. This small, but significant, disagreement precedes the first meeting between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. The significance of the two events is immediately obvious as it is clear that the lovers will never find happiness together. In addition to this, from a very early stage, Romeo and Juliet display an extremity of emotion frequently expressed in terms related to death: "More peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords...My life were better ended by their hate, than death prolonged, wanting of thy love" Romeo is basically saying that if he cant have the love of Juliet, it would be better if he were killed. ...read more.

Conclusion

Both Romeo and Juliet commit the ultimate act of love in the climax of the play. From the opening lines of the play it was inevitable that it could only end like this. The final act of love followed by the inevitable prospect of death or violence, this has been the problem the duration of the play. The style of language used by Romeo is very similar to the language he uses in act one, scene one. 'Here, here will l remain with worms that are thy chambermaids; o here' It is a typical Shakespearean era manner of phrasing sentences, with the first few words repeated at the end of the sentence. By the time Juliet kills herself, Romeo has time to recite a long farewell. However, Juliet did not. By the end of the play, Verona is nothing more than a societal wasteland; so many lives had been lost in both families. The ultimate contrast between love and death occurs in the final scene. Romeo's love for Juliet drives him to commit suicide, as he believes his life is not worth living when she cannot by his side. Everything beautiful in the play has now gone. The love died along with their young lives. Jonathan Cox 1 ...read more.

Related AS and A Level Romeo & Juliet essays

Romeo has just gate crashed on the Capulet party and no one knows that he is at the party and if he is found by the Capulet he will most likely be killed because of Romeo being a Montague this because earlier in the play the Montague's and Capulet have a fight.

But no more deep will I endart my eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly,' Reinforcing that she will meet him but Lady Capulet will have to wait before Juliet gives her verdict. The audience at this point will anticipate the judgment of young Juliet.

though this gives her the picture of a young girl, rather than a young women. In Act One Scene Five Romeo sees Juliet for the first time, he questions his presumed love for Rosaline and he says that "I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

For the audience this sounds so evil that the violence being so unfair on death of so many cast. The feud between the Capulet and Montague reigns supreme which rules over love in almost unfair manner. The prologue is written as a sonnet which is fourteen lines with a set

The servants, who are the first characters to enter the play, set the scene up, preparing it for the main characters. The servants start with a light humorous conversation with rather a lot of word play that could be taken to have a rude or vulgar meaning.

"If they do see thee, they will murder thee". However, Juliet does also express her love for Romeo. "Thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry". Although Juliet is more practical than Romeo, she still loves him very much and is willing to give up a lot for him, but in a more cautious way.

Juliet is twelve years old and Romeo is fourteen so they are quite young when they get married. Girls had very few rights. Parents would decide whom they married and their word would be final. In Juliet's case she was forced to agree to get married to Paris by her parents, her father in particular.

They exchange vows of love until the Nurse interrupts them, calling for her charge. Juliet exits briefly but quickly returns to Romeo. The Nurse instantly begins to shout for her again so the lovers quickly make plans to marry. They part at the break of dawn, expressing their longing for the moment when they can next be together.